Chapter 32: Brenda
I am an intermediate school teacher, that is the school to which the demented ones go, ages twelve to fifteen. I liked it there because that was the last age group a teacher could influence kids on how to treat a planet, or each other, or themselves. That is also the group that begins to become aware of sex so getting their attention is impossible at times.
Once they leave for high school their minds are pretty much hardwired and there isn't much anyone can do.
I was known for my patience. When I yelled at them it was in the voice of Pee Wee Herman. When they did well I brought candy. But most of the time they were happy when I just nodded at them.
At home my patience was tested too. My wife was a sales representative and traveled often. Soon I became superfluous to her, like earrings she never wore. I suspected she had a lover so I contacted a private investigator with ties to offices in the Midwest to check up on her.
When their report came in I was deeply saddened and knew it was hopeless but I gave her and our marriage another chance.
Our sex lives had been good, she loved the way I treated her in bed. She loved our long sessions and her multiple orgasms.
She suddenly decided to just wait for me to get done. I decided to stop all my advances, she was happy I did.
I went to our towns only real divorce lawyer. We talked and she asked if I had tried counseling and I told her no, that I did not want to be married to someone that did not respect me.
I mentioned that I had proof of her infidelities. She said to hold on to it until it appeared that we would need them. She was served as she left the house for a trip to Chicago. I was told she became very angry but went ahead on her trip.
I called the investigators and asked them to follow her in Chicago and if possible photograph her activities. I got pictures of her having sex with her usual lover and two other men.
When she returned I had moved out and there was a for sale sign on our front lawn. It was my house, not ours, and I knew I could never live in it again. I rented a two bedroom patio home and had already moved in.
The only one that knew where I was, my lawyer, told her she didn't know where I lived. My wife told her she would fight it to the end. I took the folders of photos to my lawyer and she looked through them, and cried.
"Her principal lover is my husband," she said amid her tears.
I quickly took the photos away from her and apologized over and over. I told her I did not know the guys in the pictures. She asked me to mail one photo to my ex, a companion to the photo she kept and asked me to come back the following week.
I mailed it but did not give any indication of where it came from.
Three weeks later the lawyer and I were both single and our former spouses had left town.
I had kept my personal life to myself, my ex did not like my friends. I took my wedding band off the last day of school and went on my usual camping/baseball stadium trip. My ex had refused to accompany me over the last two years but had encouraged me to go. I now knew why.
I got back home in late June just in time for our towns celebration day. I had always helped and did so again that time for Larry and Doris, I loved their fish restaurant. A friend named Wendy was the first to notice I no longer wore a wedding band.
"How are you doing," she asked. It was not a casual question, she wanted to know how I was handling it.
"I am at the acceptance stage already. I was not very surprised too learn of her....adventures."
"Good, glad to hear it. Brenda is not there yet, she has been moping for a while but pretends she is OK. Do me a favor and give her a kiss on the cheek whenever you see her. If she asks why tell her I told you to do so then kiss her cheek again before you walk on."
"I'm not ready for a relationship."
"And neither is she but you need to remind her she is not the only one suddenly alone. You went through the events together. And she is very pretty."
"Yes, she is. OK, I will unless she slaps me then I will tell her it was your idea."
"Good enough. Do me a favor and get us some empanadillas, I'll cover for you."
I did and found Brenda there. I nodded with a smile, asked for two and as she handed them to me I kissed her cheek. I saw the look of astonishment before I turned and left.
"You know, you are a lot more devious than you look," I said to Wendy. She treated me to her remarkably musical giggles.
I did not see Brenda again until the July Fourth fireworks show. I was headed for the ice cream truck as she walked away from it. I stepped in front of her and as she stopped I kissed her cheek then walked on.
I could not tell if she was irritated or concerned. I decided neither of those would be enough to stop me. I had started to enjoy kissing her.
A wedding brought us together the following weekend. I was an usher and she was a bridesmaid. After I led her to the altar I kissed her cheek. That time she was blushing.
"You like doing that don't you," Wendy said as I got back to the head of the aisle. I kissed her cheek. She giggled.
My next escort was a teacher friend, I kissed her cheek when after I took her to the altar. I had kissed the woman on the cheek for years so she simply accepted it.
My job was done so I sat at the back of the grooms section. The groom was my assistant principal. The bride was one of our teachers.
At the reception Brenda came to me and put her cheek out for a kiss. I kissed it.
"Well, do you think this marriage will last?" she asked.
"Yes, these are much better people. Their not so secret love affair is now in it's seventh year. They were afraid that if it was found out one of them would have to switch schools. Mo set them straight last Christmas."
"That is so nice to see."
"Yes it is. The buffet is open."
"Good, I'm starved. Oh, prime rib."
"I wonder which of them has the money for this spread?"
"Her mother. She is a big corporate attorney in the city."
We sat at the same table and I kissed Mo and Wendy on the cheek as they came by then kissed the groom on the cheek as he came by much to the amusement of all.
Brenda and I danced a couple of times and I walked her to her car when she decided to leave. I decide why not and kissed her lips before she got in her car.
Wendy saw my big smile when I walked back in and interrogated me then Mo interrogated me.
I told both the I thought we were now friends but that was all.
"Did you kiss her on the cheek?"
"No, I missed," I said and walked away. Two hands swatted my butt. Their giggles were in harmony.
I did not see Brenda again until school open house in August. I asked her if her daughter was in my class and she said no.
"I debated whether to have her schedule changed so she would have you but thought that would cause too much gossip. I came over to hear your spiel to the parents. Most likely many now think you must be demented."
""Actually all of them do especially the ones that had a kid in my class before. They just put up with it."
She said, "I have heard that everyone is very happy the old you is back. They are happy the witch is gone."
"I'm not surprised, she did not like any of my friends."
"I have to go find my semi-terrified baby," she said and waited for her kiss.
I kissed her cheek.